Originally from Bangladesh, Samir Barua’s food journey has seen him work in all manner of eateries across Sydney before opening Samir’s Charcoal Chicken in the middle of Surry Hills.
“I started this journey in 1999 with my uncle; he had a business in Bondi Junction. Since then I’ve worked in a variety of places, from three-star hotels to chic cafes, to Indian restaurants and chicken shops. After 15 years of cooking, I left the industry for two years,” Samir explains.
After a stint as a taxi driver among other jobs, Samir returned to food and opened Samir’s Charcoal Chicken where they serve up chicken, burgers, wraps and rolls, skewers, sides, and freshly made salads. Chicken is, of course, the hero ingredient but Samir very much believes the person making it plays a vital role. “The quality of the product we buy from the market and the energy of the person who prepares the product [in the restaurant] is most important. Is the person doing it happy and doing it from the heart and passionate about it? Or are they just doing it for time and money?” he asks.
Passion may be one essential ingredient at Samir’s Charcoal Chicken, but another are the spices. “Spices are a luxury but they are also plants; they are medicine for us. Spice heals you: ginger, garlic, cumin — all those spices. It’s an everyday healer!” says Samir, who is also a philosophical man.
“When I leave this world, the last suit I’m going to wear isn’t going to have a pocket. So whatever I give to the world, that will stay,” he posits. “Food is the best way to serve humankind; what I give to my kids at home, I give to my customers.” Samir’s children are indeed lucky if the dishes served at home are anywhere near as delicious as those served at Samir’s Charcoal Chicken.
Ph. 02 8068 2232
664 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Samir’s Charcoal Chicken is open seven days, 10am-9pm.
